Posted May 29, 200817 yr Gretna have just been relegated to Scottish Division Three by the SFL following the club going into administration at the end of last season, and all its staff have been laid off. :o Airdre and Stranraer have now both been promoted a division after Gretna fall down another two tiers... so why did it all go so wrong for Gretna? They got promoted three seasons running and made the SPL last year, only to finish a distant 12th and then get deducted a silly amount of points anyway. And now they might be getting kicked out of the Scottish Football League altogether, should they fail to get taken over by the end of the week! :o
May 29, 200817 yr Hmmm. The club that I support (York) went into administration a while back, but thankfully that was before all these new rules came into place with point deductions etc. but I remember when York was potentially going to fold, and it was not a nice feeling, so I know how Gretna fans must be feeling at the moment. In their own way I think it's their own fault, they became too big a club too quickly due to the amount of money they had avaliable.
May 30, 200817 yr They became one mans plaything, they have virtually no fanbase at all and one rich man took over the club and got them to the Premiership. With so little fans (431 was the attendance to one game, some third division teams averaged higher) and having to groundshare it didn't become financially viable for him and then he got ill and refused to put any more money in leaving them completely potless. Whilst it's sad that it's happend I'm kind of glad it has. Idiots like this don't belong in football and the sooner people realise that the better. If you can't finance what you want to achieve what's the point of doing something in the first place? Edited May 30, 200817 yr by RabbitFurCoat
May 30, 200817 yr I think their success surprised even him though - there's not a huge amount of difference between the teams that finish in the bottom half of division one and those that finish in the top half of division three in Scotland (hence why I think we need to change the structure) so I can see how Gretna sailed up the leagues. Livingston did the same thing a few years earlier and they should have taken note of that. I think they will get kicked out though...although if they don't then at least my home team Elgin City will have someone they're capable of beating!
May 30, 200817 yr This should serve as a serious wake up call to lots of clubs that rely on one person. If that individual becomes ill or decides he's had enough, quite a few clubs could go bust. One or two clubs spring to mind....................cough cough.....Hearts...cough :unsure:
June 2, 200817 yr Author Well, they've "ceased to exist" now! :o Who will replace them? Do Scotland have a Conference sort of division with no further prospects of being promoted or something?
June 2, 200817 yr sad day :( (Chelsea take note when Roman gets bored) I think there's like a Highlands league. A number of clubs have already expressed an interest in taking their place in Division Three. Spartans, Annan Athletic, Preston Athletic and Cove Rangers are all preparing applications for their spot. Source; BBC Sport
June 2, 200817 yr Author Who was in their place before they appeared in the third division a few years ago?
June 3, 200817 yr Clydebank or Airdrie...I think the new Airdrie United actually bought Clydebank's position when they went bust. There's the East of Scotland League, the Highland League and the Junior league I think. Cove Rangers are from an Aberdeen suburb and are the only Highland league team trying to enter as far as I know. They were winners of the Highland League this year, but haven't actually been members for all that long. Interestingly, it seems most players up in the North don't want to play league football. Over half of Elgin City's team come from the central belt as far as I know and only travel up for matchdays meaning the team rarely trains together. The best players in the Highland League seem to be happy to stay there as amateurs.
June 3, 200817 yr Clydebank or Airdrie...I think the new Airdrie United actually bought Clydebank's position when they went bust. I thought Airdrie United brought Airdrieonian's place (the former having risen, pheonix-like, out of the ashes of the latter).
June 4, 200817 yr I'm not sure they'd have been allowed to do that. In fact, Wikipedia has the answer... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airdrieonians
June 18, 200817 yr sad day :( (Chelsea take note when Roman gets bored) Please Roman get bored :cheer: :cheer:
June 18, 200817 yr Just out of curiosity - anybody got any idea when their replacement in the SFL will be decided? Never mind - I found it (July 3rd). Edited June 18, 200817 yr by DitzyNizzy
June 19, 200817 yr Please Roman get bored :cheer: :cheer: say Abramovich got hit by a bus tomorrow, what would happen to Chelsea and their finances. Would they just get swallowed into a black hole?
June 19, 200817 yr say Abramovich got hit by a bus tomorrow, what would happen to Chelsea and their finances. Would they just get swallowed into a black hole? Chelsea would be f***ed yes According to a very reputable business magazine Abramovich hasn't given Chelsea money he has loaned the club money and that his contractual arrangement with Chelsea is that all loans have to be paid back within 18 months of Abramovich leaving Chelsea so he dies, is arrested, gets bored etc Chelsea are in deep deep $h!t
June 19, 200817 yr The amount of money they've spent since he arrived then means they're definitely in deep doo doo now if it's all loans. I mean didn't they make a loss in the last financial year? Abramovich like all of us won't be here for eternity, and well likewise for Chelski it seems. Not that it really bothers me :kink:
June 19, 200817 yr The main difference between the two teams is the size though. Gretna are completely pointless because they don't have a stadium and have a fanbase of about 6 men and a dog. Chelsea have always been a Premiership level club and have the status, players, ground and fanbase to match...
June 20, 200817 yr Chelsea have always been a Premiership level club and have the status, players, ground and fanbase to match... But it's only in the last few years that they've been elevated to the status they enjoy now, and the addition of all the glory hunting fans. (Apparently, 10 days before the FA Cup Final in 1994, Chelsea were playing Coventry at home in front of less than 9 thousand. You can't imagine a crowd that low now, can you?)
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